Mark 6 records the sad story of Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth as a hero, and being shipped out as a bum. It says that they tripped over what little they knew of Him, and went sprawling, And they never got any closer.

Are you trying to be a witness to the power of Christ in your family to your family or “hometown”? Have you felt the sting of rejection Jesus did? “Who do you think you are, getting religious on us? We know you and your family! We’re just as good as you are! So go shove your Jesus talk.”

In sadness, Jesus walked away. They refused to believe Him. So He did not force Himself upon them. He was excited about Kingdom Life, and wanted to share it with His friends. But instead they sent Him packing. Have you ever pictured Jesus excited and smiling as He shared the Good News? What excellent teacher does not get excited about what he teaches?

Do you have a case of “Hometown Blues” this morning? You are excited about how awesome and rocking Jesus is, and by your words and actions you try to share that with friends and family, in your unique way. You are not an evangelist, you just are crazy about Jesus! But your “hometown” people take a whiff and say “get lost, you are nuts!” Yeah, rejection stinks.

Take heart, Jesus relates and knows the price of “hometown blues”. But keep going, don’t lose heart. Don’t lose the wonder of who He is!